Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 886: To ask the Minister for Health the procedures in place to ensure that the Health Service Executive notifies on a daily basis debt collection agencies who work on their behalf when patients have made their payments directly to the HSE to avoid these debt collecting agencies phoning people at evening time and issuing letters to persons saying that they may be placed on the credit bureau list for non-payment; if he will put in place proper protocols for dealing with these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23086/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive seek to maximise the recovery of income in a socially responsible and cost effective way. Initial follow up on outstanding charges is carried out by each hospital and includes the use of reminder letters. Collection agencies are used when the normal collection process has been exhausted. The HSE employ the services of debt collection agencies in twenty three of its statutory acute hospitals. Of these hospitals, sixteen notify the relevant debt collection agency on a real time / daily basis. Four hospitals notify on a weekly basis and the remaining three hospitals notify the debt collection agency on a greater than weekly basis. The HSE will direct all acute hospitals to update collection agents on a real time / daily basis.